San Diego Sea Urchin Fishery Project

In 2006, OPC awarded a grant to the San Diego Watermen’s Association (SDWA) to assist the sea urchin fishery in San Diego in its efforts to build long-term sustainability.  The SDWA effort focused on three activities which were considered critical for developing responsible harvesting practices, collecting and distributing a high value product, and perpetuating local-level stewardship of the sea urchin fishery.  They were:

1) Transforming the sea urchin fishery in the San Diego area from a data-poor status to one based on good fishery-dependent and independent scientific data and models.

2) Developing a model for high-quality collaborative research between fishery scientists and the fishing community, building on the benefits of resource stewardship and information sharing by sea urchin fishermen.

3) Shifting the local sea urchin market to a value-based system that benefits fishermen and the consumer.

The SDWA project served as a successful model for establishing leadership within a fishing community to  improve data on fisheries and build collaborative relationships with fishery scientists and managers.  The project also initiated efforts to develop approaches for improving urchin markets;  SDWA is continuing to work on these business strategies.

Staff Recommendations/Project Documents

OPC Staff Recommendation (November 2006)

Final Report (November 2008)

Final Report Appendices (November 2008)